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The Diaoyu Islands are a group of uninhabited islands located roughly due east of mainland China, northeast of Taiwan, west of Okinawa Island, and north of the southwestern end of the Ryukyu Islands. They are currently controlled by Japan, which calls them Senkaku Islands. Both China and Taiwan claim sovereignty over the islands.

Japanese surveillance plane flies over the disputed islands in the East China Sea. Two Chinese coastguard ships sailed into waters around the islands. Photo: AP

Two Chinese coastguard ships sailed into waters around disputed islands in the East China Sea on Saturday, the Japanese coastguard said, two days after US President Barack Obama declared his support for Japan.

The vessels entered 22 kilometres into Japan’s territorial waters off one of the Senkaku islands, which China also claims and calls the Diaoyus, around noon, the coastguard said.

It was the first such move since Obama announced on Thursday that Washington would defend Japan, under the bilateral military alliance, if China initiates an attack in the tense territorial dispute.

Chinese ships last entered the area on April 12, according to the Japanese coastguard.

Chinese vessels and aircraft regularly approach the East China Sea archipelago - thought to harbour vast natural resources - after Japan nationalised some of the islands in September 2012, setting off the latest spate of incidents in a long-running territorial dispute.

Relations between Tokyo and Beijing have fallen to their lowest point for years.

Some observers warn they might come to blows over the islands, where ships from both sides lurk to press claims for ownership.

Odd how China's Military is committed to protecting the CCP rather than its People and its Constitution.

andreaswagner Apr 26th 201411:49pm

China will not stop till they finally have that war they are craving for. It will bring them more or less back to the stone age of course, but at least they have that fat red piece of dung in that fish tank in TAM square they can prey to:)

daily Apr 27th 20149:10pm

Goes to show that Obama's words means nothing to the Asian countries...............Good!..............China doesn't need to be told by the Americans what they should or shouldn't do.............Go back and MYOB Obama.